Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
Learn more

Montgomery, AL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montgomery, AL and in Monterrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montgomery, AL and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Montgomery, AL $2,354
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Montgomery, AL versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Montgomery, AL $3,197
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,039 in Montgomery, AL versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Montgomery, AL $4,039
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Montgomery, AL is roughly 46% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montgomery, AL 74% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$13.85 MX$256

16.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$49.70 MX$918

11.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 $10.30

$11.05 MX$204

-6.79%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$4.09 MX$75.6

31.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.68 MX$30.97

55.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.03 MX$18.98

100.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.40 MX$44.28

82.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.35 MX$80.3

12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.92 MX$35.55

-55.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.94 MX$54.2

22.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.88 MX$34.66

9.04%

Eggs

$3.14 $3.14

$2.55 MX$47.06

23.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$11.84 MX$219

-32.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$9.36 MX$173

-21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$13.10 MX$242

8.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.38 MX$62.5

17.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.52 MX$28.13

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.19 MX$40.51

-10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.36 MX$43.63

76.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.26 MX$41.76

37.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.73 MX$50.5

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.52 MX$28.17

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.24 MX$22.90

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$4.75 MX$87.8

87.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$13.66 MX$252

10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.89 MX$34.95

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.99 MX$55.2

29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.85 MX$15.78

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 $45.02

$30.95 MX$572

45.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.68 MX$30.98

50.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.13 MX$20.87

41.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.54 $25.54

$11.15 MX$206

129.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.56 MX$28.91

-42.31%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.7K $31.7K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

48.14%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

3.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$309 $309

$119 MX$2,206

158.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$26.21 MX$484

93.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$26.78 MX$495

170.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 $37.83

$31.03 MX$573

21.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$21.43 MX$396

33.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$5.29 MX$97.7

85.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$691 MX$12.8K

99.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

19.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.94 $48.94

$72.3 MX$1,335

-32.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.52 $35.52

$42.72 MX$789

-16.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$110 MX$2,024

-21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$117 MX$2,158

-17.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$970 MX$17.9K

32.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 $1,084

$664 MX$12.3K

63.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-14.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,287 MX$23.8K

13.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,368 $1,368

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-67.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-44.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 $3,632

$1,146 MX$21.2K

216.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.79

-44.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 38.8% $421

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 60.1% $260

Groceries & Markets

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 3.5% $11

Eating Out

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7%

Monterrey

$225 14% 18.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 27.7% $33

Getting Around

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 34.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 27.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Montgomery, AL and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montgomery, AL pays 217% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Montgomery, AL vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

05:29 5:29 AM

1 h behind Montgomery, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,603

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montgomery, AL Monterrey 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montgomery, AL
Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Montgomery, AL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montgomery, AL and Monterrey differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $1,608 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 217% higher in Montgomery, AL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Montgomery, AL versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $56.0 in Montgomery, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,354 per month in Montgomery, AL versus $1,608 in Monterrey – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Montgomery, AL. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Montgomery, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.